


Unexpected

by AuntieEm73



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Claustrophobia, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Hand Jobs, M/M, Past Abuse, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:53:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28918638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuntieEm73/pseuds/AuntieEm73
Summary: When Luciel admits to a total stranger, how he would give anything to be happy again, after having experienced a bad breakup, he suddenly finds himself in Middle-Earth. Against all expectations, his heart opens up to a very special elf, who rules the Woodland Realm. Is he dreaming, or is it all real?
Relationships: Thranduil (Tolkien)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Requested and inspired by DarkKiwi, who dared me to write slash. This is my first fic that involves M-M pairing/slash. Oh... and there's a sequel too... be on the lookout for that one :)

Chapter 1

The pencil moved along the paper with delicate movements. The hand holding it, ensuring the picture that developed beneath was given the care it deserved. An eye appeared on the paper, which seemed almost life-like. The nose of the person wielding the pencil, was positioned low, hovering over the parchment-like surface. The expression on the face was abundant with focus and the protruding tongue from the finely shaped lips, was a sure sign of concentration. In the next moment, the eye was accompanied by long eye-lashes and a voluminous eyebrow. Each hair on the facial feature received the attention it deserved. 

“Lucy,” an insistent voice came from somewhere in the house. He paid no attention to the female voice shouting out for him. His waist-long jet-black hair fell over his face as he kept his focus on the drawing in front of him.

“Luciel… are you ignoring me?” the voice became louder. The young man let out a deep sigh. He wasn’t ignoring his house mate, he just preferred to draw or paint instead. It helped him relax and it made him forget.

“Dinner’s waiting for you downstairs, will you come and join us?” the female voice shouted again, referring to herself and her boyfriend. Clodagh always meant well and she never minded cooking not only for her boyfriend Colm, but for him as well. He actually considered himself lucky. Clodagh had been his best friend for a long time. When he went through an awful break-up, following years of a mentally abusive relationship, she had offered for him to move in with her and Colm. Luciel couldn’t believe his luck. He was desperate to get out of whatever shite he had managed get himself in. Sure enough his ex was something to behold and appeared quite caring and loving at first, but once the relationship was in full swing, Luciel found himself trapped in something that could not even remotely be called a relationship to begin with. He was struggling with past events as well as the horrible break-up that had followed. He was desperate to put it all behind him. 

“Jesus, Lucy, are you coming or not… we’re starting, okay?” Clodagh shouted again.

“Will be right there, Clo… just let me have a quick bio-break,” he shouted back, leaving his drawing to be tended to later, as he padded towards the upstairs bathroom. As he walked to the adjoining room, he briefly lifted his arms above his head in order to stretch his stiff joints and muscles. His black t-shirt lifted enough to reveal the muscles that shaped his Adonis-belt, just above the edge of his jeans. Luciel had always been naturally fit, not having to exercise a whole lot. He was content with his fit physique, but it had not proved at all favourable so far. He only seemed to attract the wrong people somehow. He lowered his arms again, revealing lean pectorals and squared shoulders through the thin black fabric. _Right… bathroom_ , he thought to himself.

He lifted the toilet seat and unzipped his pants, leaving the door just slightly and purposely ajar. He closed his eyes as he relieved his bladder, when a gust of wind managed to roll into the second floor hallway, it managed to slam the bathroom door shut with a loud thud. Panic engulfed Luciel’s heart and while making himself presentable again, he quickly turned in the small room, only to find he was unable to open the door. He pushed against the rough surface of the door that separated the bathroom from the hallway. Sweat started to collect on his forehead, but he found he was unable to open the door by himself, the feeling of panic he experienced moments before, seemed to elevate. This wasn’t happening to him… not him… thoughts and memories from his recent past flashed by. One memory in particular seemed to rewind in his head repeatedly, making him relive one horrible experience in particular. His ex, locking him in a broom cabinet.

Luciel shouted and started to bang his fists against the bathroom door hard. His Dr. Martens kicked against the bottom half of the surface. Panic had completely captivated him and he simply needed to get out. Suddenly he heard footsteps on the stairs and mere seconds later, the door flew open, revealing Clodagh in the opening. Luciel could do nothing but lunge forward, making them both crash onto the hallway floor with a soft thud. He cried and Clodagh’s heart broke for him, holding his head gently, running her fingers through his black manes until he seemed to calm down.

“Ssht, it’s okay, Lucy, nobody’s going to hurt you,” she tried to comfort him, knowing damn well how his newfound claustrophobia was the reason why they were sitting on the floor of their small home at that very moment. She frowned. Damn his ex. 

Clodagh finally managed to get Luciel downstairs, but not entirely surprising, his appetite had become non-existent. 

“Why don’t you have a walk with Pip, take him to the woods, clear your head, alright?” Clodagh offered. Luciel sighed deeply. That wasn’t a bad idea, actually, he thought to himself as he moved to grab his jacket. Luciel had grown very fond of Pip and always felt very responsible for the dog, whenever they went out for a moment of relief. Pip adored Luciel and had in fact grown very affectionate towards his surrogate daddy.

Luciel whistled, making Pip run towards him. He managed to put the leash on the dog fairly quickly and before he realised, the dog was tugging the leash to go out for a well-deserved walk.

The dog was ecstatic, marking every tree in sight, while Luciel could only consider what had happened to him recently. The cold wind felt soothing on his pretty face. He closed his eyes briefly, letting the breeze play with the long strands of his black hair.

“Are you alright?” came a friendly female voice. Luciel was startled at being addressed quite so suddenly. As he looked up with his dark blue eyes, he noticed a tall woman, with long wavy blond hair. She seemed to be dressed rather lightly, considering the outdoor temperatures. He shrugged as he observed the woman who kept smiling at him. Somehow her presence felt comforting, but he wasn’t entirely certain why that was the case.

“I… I’m alright… just have a lot on my mind,” he said, followed by an audible sigh. The woman nodded.

“We all do, my dear, we all do… but I couldn’t help but notice that you seem somewhat sad, or am I mistaken?” she asked kindly. Luciel had no idea how she managed it, but he felt like he could tell her anything and everything, yet she was a stranger. He shook his head briefly in disbelief, yet he began answering her question.

“It’s just… I’ve come out of a bad relationship and…” he stopped talking, but the woman understood and finished the sentence on his behalf.

“… you wish you could feel a little bit happier,” she smiled again. Luciel’s mouth corners curled upwards.

“Isn’t that the truth,” he whispered. He looked up towards the woman who had addressed him so suddenly.

“You don’t have a wand or something that could make that happen, do you?” he smiled faintly, making the woman laugh out loudly.

“I’m afraid I have no wand, but…” she stopped talking.

“My name is Gal… you know… like the actress, Gal Gadot,” she grinned as she offered her hand to finally introduce herself.

“Luciel,” he responded, taking her hand.

“And who’s this?” Gal asked as Pip darted towards her, wagging his tale fervently.

“This mongrel is Pip and he is my buddy,” Luciel explained. Gal smiled and patted the dog on his head.

“He makes you happy?” she asked suddenly. Luciel nodded.

“That he does… all things considering,” he sighed again, memories weighing heavily on his mind, while he caressed the dog’s snout lovingly.

“So Luciel, tell me, what would you give to be happy again, find a place where you belong, find love again?” Gal asked out of the blue. Luciel closed his eyes.

“I would give anything,” he replied truthfully, realising he had nothing to lose.

“Good,” Gal responded, “then you shall have it,” she continued, leaving Luciel with nothing but questions, but she had already started walking away briskly.

Luciel ran his slender fingers through his long black hair, genuinely wondering what that had been all about. He whistled for Pip to follow him back to the house. His stomach was protesting, not having eaten anything earlier. The dog was right behind him, when he felt a certain nausea and dizziness creep up on him. Luciel lifted his hand to his forehead, cursing at himself for not eating anything before walking the dog. The dizziness he experienced made the trees around him spin. He could hear Pip whine, before he could no longer hold himself upright. With a thud he landed on the mossy floor that was covered with red and orange leaves. Pip pressed his wet nose against Luciel’s cheeks, trying to nudge him to wake, but Luciel did not respond. Pip could do nothing but lie down beside the human he cared for so much. The dog had no intention of leaving him.

*** 

“What is this garbage,” a deep voice bellowed, as the servant, who had brought the king a tray with his dinner, quickly backed away from the King’s study. As soon had he closed the door to exit the King’s private chambers, he could hear something crash into the door audibly, undoubtedly the tray with food, which was clearly not to the king’s liking. The servant was in doubt, whether he should enter again, though uninvited, to clear the food from the surface of the door as well as the floor. He waited for a moment, until a voice behind him spoke softly.

“Is my father having one of his tantrums again,” he asked, almost chuckling, as he knew his father had his disagreeable moments, of which he had learned that they had become increasingly more prominent since his mother had passed. The young prince sighed.

“It’s alright… you may leave, I will handle my father,” he reassured the frightened young elf.

“Thank you, my lord Legolas,” as he bowed and removed himself from the area.

Legolas silently entered his father’s private domain. 

“I will not eat any more of your food… it is unfit for pigs… bring me some fruit instead,” he ordered, before raising his eyes and landing his gaze upon his one and only son.

“I will make sure you are brought food later,” Legolas responded.

“Son… sorry for the… mess,” he said as he motioned his hand towards the door and the food that lay scattered. 

“What did that young _ellon_ do now?” Legolas asked, almost rolling his eyes, knowing damn well his father had become quite unreasonable again and for no apparent reason. He received nothing but a grunt in return.

“Will you be joining the others in the Great Hall later?” his son asked him carefully, not wanting to be shouted at. The king groaned loudly.

“And be sociable? I think not. I doubt people are in need of their stern king… it would only cause distress for everyone there and people deserve to have their joyous festivities,” he managed from beneath his frown. Legolas was pleased, because while king Thranduil had no intentions of joining his subjects, at least he wished for them to enjoy themselves.

“Stern… yes… but fair,” his son responded.

“You are still a fair ruler, father, no one will deny that,” he added, though he understood quite well that all the elves in the kingdom had not missed how their king had become sulky, moody and even depressed at times, while on occasion he was downright unreasonable, such as at that very moment only seconds prior. His subjects were however very understanding. They had learned how the king was a changed _ellon_ , since the passing of his wife, but they had learned to live with it, because as much as the king had changed, his priority was still to keep all within his kingdom safe and sound, which was something he still managed excellently.

“I will leave you to do your bidding, father… and I will send you some fruit… but please, please… try and be nice to Cailon… he is only trying to assist you and care for you,” Legolas insisted. Thranduil looked up at his son and nodded.

“I will try,” he said truthfully.

*** 

Several weeks had elapsed, before Luciel understood that he woke in a place that was not his. Mirkwood it was called, an extended forest that was part of a world named Middle-Earth. How he managed to get there, he did not know, but suspected that the woman in the woods, named Gal had something to do with it. 

He picked up a wooden bucket and padded towards the well that stood dead centre of the grounds that connected the different stables. Luciel had no skills to offer the kingdom, but the love he had always had for animals. No one seemed to have need for someone who could draw life-like pictures or portraits, so instead, in return for room and board, he became an animal handler in the kingdom of king Thranduil, at least until he figured out how he came to be a resident of Mirkwood and why he had landed himself in such a mysterious world, or how to get back home. Being an animal handler was hard work, but he found the elves to be quite friendly to him, even though he was one to stand out quite significantly.

Luciel had replaced his usual jeans and t-shirt for leggings and a tunic. He had braided some of the strands on his head, like he had seen other male elves do. If it weren’t for the absence of pointy ears, he could have easily been mistaken for an elf. A handsome elf even. The turning of many heads whenever he walked by, had not gone unnoticed by Luciel. At least he was among friendly folk and he was more than pleased about that.

He felt something wet nudge his hand. Luciel smiled and crouched down.

“At least I’m not alone here eh, Pip?” he said as he held the dog’s head lovingly, suddenly very happy about the fact that Pip had seemed to have made the journey to Middle-Earth along with him. 

He continued to lower the bucket into the well, but ensured to remain firmly footed on the edge. He had seen how deep and narrow the well was and he had no desire for anyone to fish him out of there.

Then out of almost nowhere, came a huge elk running towards the stable grounds. On its back, king Thranduil sat, as regal as ever. He wore a very displeased facial expression, that could not mean anything good. While Luciel was strangely enough taken with the king’s majestic and handsome appearance, he had also learned how he could in fact be very cold, distant, moody and often rude or even foul. Luciel sniggered silently. He supposed looks weren’t everything. 

As the elk came to a halt, the animal breathed loudly through its nostrils in an attempt to show off its intimidating posture. And intimidating it most certainly was, as was the elf riding it. Luciel’s eyes briefly locked with Thranduil’s and in the tiniest of moments, though he could have easily been mistaken, he perceived a hint of softness in his expression. Luciel shook his head. His eyes had probably been deceiving him. He looked away, tending to the bucket of water he had just lifted up from the well.

For a moment Thranduil ogled the young human, that seemed to have more elf-like features than he thought possible for a mere human. As the young man lifted the heavy water-filled bucket from the depths of the well, he could do nothing but appreciate the squared shoulders, strong and slender arms and the muscles that could clearly be seen beneath his tunic. His jet-black hair clung to the side of his face, due to the sweat that had started to collect on the smooth surface of his beautiful face. 

Luciel looked up again, trying not to be perturbed by the king’s stare. He could feel the silver blue eyes penetrate his very soul, but pretended not to care. He was after all only the king’s subject.

He noticed how Thranduil elegantly swung his leg over the elk’s neck, before lowering himself to the ground and with a soft thud, he landed both his feet onto the sandy surface simultaneously. Luciel could tell the king was livid about something or other and was looking around to see who or what he could unleash his hell on. Luciel thought it was best to keep his head down. He had no business interfering with all that the king did. 

“Blasted giant spiders… those foul creatures keep pestering my kingdom like it is their personal playground,” he hissed to one of his personal guards, who had also dismounted the animal he was riding.

“We will need a plan to rid them from our lands altogether… otherwise I will not be able to guarantee the people’s safety,” he frowned, deepening the vertical crease between his thick eyebrows. Luciel frowned as well. So the king did have the kingdom’s residents’ best interests at heart. That was commendable.

Thranduil guided the elk away from where he had dismounted, but failed to see Pip digging his nose into the ground, clearly having picked up on an enticing scent or other. He accidentally nudged the dog’s hind legs with his shins, barely managing to keep himself upright. Anger appeared on the king’s face immediately, while he lifted his hand, preparing to strike the dog, when the animal had in fact done nothing wrong. The king moved towards the dog and as he built up the power in his strike, something kept him from lowering his arm altogether.

In the briefest of moments, fury met fury. Thranduil’s rage was put to a halt and as he looked as to what or who was responsible, his fiery gaze met Luciel’s, who regarded the king with equal anger.

“I would not do that if I were you…” Luciel stated confidently. He was not jesting and Thranduil could see he wasn’t.

“… you will regret it if you do,” he continued. Luciel was not an aggressive, nor violent type, but he would not stand by idly, watch someone mishandle an animal for any reason at all. He understood quite well that his threatening actions would have consequences, but he could not care less.

Thranduil was taken aback by the way he was being addressed. Not by an elf, but by a human even. The fury in his eyes subsided, as he gazed the black-haired human into his dark blue eyes. The fire in Luciel’s eyes did not diminish and Thranduil understood that the human stood by his actions completely. 

“The human has spirit,” Thranduil spoke, as the elves around him gasped at Luciel’s rash actions.

“Do you know the punishment of addressing your king in this way?” he asked.

“I do,” Luciel admitted in all honesty.

“Yet this… _mutt_ … is worth it?” the king asked again.

“It’s a life… all lives matter,” Luciel spoke, sincere about what he was saying, when he realised the dungeons could well be his new place of residence, that is if he could retain his head.

Both remained stoic for a moment or two, Luciel still holding Thranduil’s arm in order to shield Pip from being unfairly struck. Suddenly the king calmed his posture.

“Fair enough,” he said as he continued to guide the elk to his own stable. And suddenly the king was gone. Luciel sighed with relief. No way he was this lucky. He was convinced Thranduil would pay him a visit later and throw him in his dungeons after all.

***

Luciel sat on a tree trunk close to the palace walls. He had managed to obtain several sheets of paper that allowed him to exercise his greatest passion. Drawing. From the fireplaces around the palace he had found pieces of coal. He did not care for drawing with charcoal, but as he wasn’t sure whether Mirkwood, or Midde-Earth for that matter, had any pencils, or something that resembled them, he figured charcoal was something he might use until something better came along.

Pip sat beside him, his head resting on the long grass between his two front paws. Luciel studied the ornate gates that led to the interior of the palace. He was mesmerised by the intricate details on the gates’ surfaces. As he closely examined the details, he began putting the image to paper, but his attention was quickly drawn to a young elf that sat in a tree close by. The boy had the most beautiful face and Luciel simply had to capture the gorgeous eyes, the still plump cheeks and pleasantly shaped lips. The boy did not remain in the tree for long and Luciel completed the picture from memory.

Finally, he looked up and found that dusk was almost upon him. It was time to retire into the safety of the palace. The animals were already cared for and had been fed. He slowly stood, collected the sheets of paper and charcoal and prepared to make his way inside. Pip was by his side to accompany him. 

“You draw well,” a deep silken voice sounded to his left.

Luciel looked up and found none other than the king walk towards him. He was startled. The consequences of his rash actions earlier had just come knocking. Thranduil had instantly picked up on his apprehension and lifted his hands, as if to tell him he had nothing to fear. It was only then that Luciel noticed the impressive height of the king. From a distance he had always known Thranduil to be a tall specimen, but seeing him from up close, made him drop his jaw in awe.

Thranduil in turn could not look away from Luciel’s striking outward appearance. He knew Luciel was no elf, but he was certainly something to behold. His facial features almost seemed feminine, though his masculinity was dominating. Thranduil found it difficult to look away and he caught himself feeling somewhat confused at the sudden attraction he felt.

“You draw portraits?” came the unexpected question, making Luciel lift his eyebrows in surprise. He could do nothing but nod.

“Good… I would be honoured if you could draw mine… I will make arrangements for that,” he said as he turned and walked away again, not awaiting Luciel’s response.

“I’m Luciel, by the way,” he called after the king. Thranduil stopped for a moment.

“I know,” he said without turning his and before long he continued towards the palace.

Luciel watched the king walk away from with such elegance and ease, that it made him tingle in places that had not tingled for a long time. What the hell had just happened?

***


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The animals were restless and much aware of a threatening storm coming. Luciel tried to the best of his abilities to keep the animals calm. The king’s elk seemed particularly upset, but Luciel knew better than to try and soothe the large animal, knowing well that it obeyed only its master.

Suddenly someone behind him scraped his throat, evidently in an attempt to get his attention. Luciel turned around his vertical axle, to find one of the king’s personal guards in front of him. He was holding a jute sack that contained something or other.

“From the king… you are expected at his private quarters following dinner,” the elf stated before leaving, making Luciel drop his jaw in slight shock yet again. He quickly opened the jute sack and to his surprise found artist’s materials in them. Parchments that were so delicate, he barely dared to touch them. In addition, there were quills, jars of ink and pencils! Luciel held the pencils in his hand and was on the verge of crying. Pencils. He had so longed to find pencils. He was over the moon and now he also had an appointment with none other than Mirkwood’s king himself. He felt his heart pound in his throat, wondering what he had done to deserve to be treated as such, especially considering how he had addressed the king before. He squinted, as an unnerving feeling crept through him.

*** 

As the heavens unleashed their fury over Mirkwood and the palace, Luciel padded towards the king’s private chambers, his drawing materials under his arm. He had barely eaten, as his nerves simply did not allow him to do so. Nervously he knocked on the heavy set doors that separated him from the king who resided inside. He could hear the elvish command that told him he could come inside. The guards by the door never moved.

Luciel took a small step, followed by another. He looked around, but Thranduil was nowhere to be seen. He took another step and instinctively closed the heavy door behind him. He wasn’t too sure he should proceed into the ante-chamber further, and much to his relief, Thranduil revealed himself, walking towards him from what appeared to be his sleeping chamber. 

“Thank you for coming,” the king greeted him without much etiquette. Both stared at one another for a moment until Thranduil spoke again.

“Where do you want me?” he asked kindly, eager to get started on the portrait he had commissioned from the outlander that lived under his roof. Luciel’s eyes twinkled. _Naked in your bed?_ He quickly expelled the thoughts from his mind. What was wrong with him?

“Somewhere where there is plenty of natural light?” he said, instantly regretting his words, as he realised darkness had already fallen over the kingdom. He closed his eyes and shook his head at his stupidity. The corners of Thranduil’s mouth curled upwards.

“That might be… somewhat difficult,” he stated, not hiding his smirk. “Are you nervous?” he asked. Luciel gave a curt nod.

“I’m not used to consort with royalty,” he said truthfully, which made Thranduil smile. It made Luciel melt deep within. He had never seen the king smile, but it was a smile to die for.

“I don’t bite…” Thranduil responded. … _hard_ , he thought.

Luciel willed himself to change the subject, though he clearly seemed distracted. 

“Please sit on that chair. The candles provide all the light I need, and the fireplace gives off a warm glow. It allows me to add the necessary contrast to my drawing,” he explained. Thranduil instantly understood that Luciel was not inexperienced when it came to drawing portraits and obliged him.

He sat down and assumed a regal pose.

“Oh no, please, could you please sit more… casually… perhaps cross your legs?” Luciel tried, as he did not like the stiff position the king felt he needed to assume. “I would like to capture you,” he explained, though not explaining anything at all. “I… I just think I would be better at capturing your essence, if you were to not be so…” Luciel stopped talking. _Careful now, Lucy. Choose your next words carefully_. “… kingly?” Luciel shrugged apologetically. Much to his surprise Thranduil nodded and relaxed as he re-seated himself on the large chair. His facial features instantly changed and relaxed along with the rest of his body.

Luciel took out one of the larger parchments and his much coveted pencils. He smiled as he took them out, which Thranduil noticed as he looked in the human’s direction. Silence fell between the two and Luciel began. Quite some time had passed, before Thranduil finally spoke, breaking Luciel’s tremendous focus on the paper in front of him.

“So… Luciel… where are you from?” came the question. Luciel swallowed hard. What could he possibly tell the king? 

“I’m from a land far away… I came to be here by chance… quite involuntarily in fact. I was unprepared, but I’m here now and… well… I’m quite content,” Luciel kept his reply vague.

“Only content?” Thranduil wondered, making Luciel blush. He did not respond, as he did not know how to. The king did not push it.

“I hope you will be more than just content in the future,” he continued. Luciel pretended to concentrate on the drawing, but had to admit to himself that he had in fact felt more than just content, happy even, in the past days. He decided not to dwell on it too much, as he feared for being hurt, as he had been in the past. Thranduil picked up on his distress and opened his mouth to speak. At the same time, a loud crash of thunder could be heard above the palace, making Luciel jump. Shortly after, horses could be heard from the stables, their neighing loud and full of stress. The horses weren’t the only animals upset and in response, Luciel dropped his pencil and the parchment with the drawing that was only half way done.

“They need me,” he simply stated, making his way to the entrance of the ante-chambed hurriedly. Thranduil sat in shock, mesmerised by the dedication the young human had for the animals. It took him a brief moment, before he decided to also make his way to the stables. If he knew his elk at all, the animal would be in quite a state.

Luciel found the horses in pure panic. Some had broken free and were running amok across the stable grounds. Several elves were trying to capture the frantic animals, but were not quite as successful, as the rain crashed down on both elves as well as the horses, while thunder and lightning manifested themselves in the skies above. Luciel managed to control three horses in mere minutes, but found that they were far from done when it came to capturing all animals. Suddenly, out of nothing, large antlers loomed up above him. The large animal that owned the antlers, Luciel instantly recognised as Thranduil’s elk. It was snorting loudly, scraping its hooves along the wet and muddy ground, inching forward, making Luciel step back carefully. The rain and thunder had made him lose his bearing and suddenly his heels connected with the edge of the well that stood on the grounds, making him lose his balance. It was too late to do anything and the next thing he felt was an knot in his stomach that was brought forth by an awful falling sensation. Before even realising what had happened exactly, Luciel found himself at the bottom of the well. Surprisingly enough the fall had not hurt him at all, but the confinement of being so deep underground, in such a narrow space, made him gasp loudly. Panic raced through him. He tried to call out to someone, anyone, but found his screams were overpowered by the thundering above. His breathing became shallow and rapid. Desperation grew on his face. He had to get out of here.

On the stable grounds, Thranduil arrived and found his elk running around, free from his paddock. He quickly managed to calm the animal and guided it back to where it belonged. He looked around the stable grounds. It seemed Luciel had been successful in leading almost all the animals back to their stables. Undoubtedly he was giving the frightened animals a treat, in order to calm them further. He scanned the grounds one last time before turning to return indoors, until he noticed Pip barking by the well. What was that mutt doing there? The dog usually slept in the stables with the horses. So why wasn’t he going back to get comfortable with the other animals? Thranduil frowned and against his better judgement and the advice from his personal guards to seek shelter, he walked towards the well. Shock washed over him as he noticed that Luciel was at the bottom of it. 

Instantly Thranduil detached the rope that was connected to the winch that stood over the well. He had to get Luciel out. 

“Alert the healing chambers, I don’t know what state he will be in once I get him out,” he shouted at his guards. One of the two guards hesitated in leaving the king’s side, but an angry stare from Thranduil told him he had better get back inside the palace and prepare for the king’s and Luciel’s return.

“I will be fine,” the king insisted, finally convincing the guard to also leave. As soon as the guard was gone, Thranduil again focused on the human in the well below, as he lowered the rope.

“Luciel, I’m lowering the rope. Wrap it around your waist and I will pull you up,” he shouted. He wasn’t entirely certain whether Luciel had heard him, but the tug on the rope below, told him that Luciel had in fact understood what Thranduil was trying to do. And that was to get him up and out.

Thranduil felt like he was in a tug of war of a lifetime. It took most of his strength to pull Luciel from the well. As he pulled and pulled, he finally noticed Luciel’s hands, curled around the rope, holding himself steady. Next, his head was visible, panic, stress and exhaustion evident on his face. But mostly, it was fear that adorned his otherwise beautiful facial features. 

Thranduil attached the rope on the hook to the side of the well, ensuring Luciel would not plummet to the bottom for a second time. He then circled his arms around the human’s waist, pulling him towards him. They both dropped to the muddy ground. Thranduil simply sat, his legs spread, Luciel curled up between them, gripping the edges of the regal tunic tightly. He had started to sob and tremble. Thranduil knew it wasn’t just because he was cold. He had been scared beyond anything and he knew not how to comfort him. He gently moved the black strands of wet hair from his face. Luciel had his eyes tightly shut, as though it helped to keep the fear away. Thranduil simply held him, rocking back and forth, drawing circular patterns on his back to soothe him. He looked at the vulnerable face just below his and suddenly he lowered his face and pressed his lips tenderly onto Luciel’s. Luciel gasped, but did not object. This felt so good and so right . The trembling seemed to subside, to which Thranduil felt there was only one way to respond. He exercised additional pressure onto Luciel’s lips, begging him for the entrance he craved. Luciel parted his lips and let Thranduil inside. Thranduil instantly deepened the kiss and Luciel lifted his fingers to rest against Thranduil’s neck.

All of a sudden their lips disconnected and Thranduil lifted Luciel into his arms as though he weighed near to nothing. Luciel simply closed his eyes and rested his head against the king’s chest. He was still trembling, he was confused, but admitted to himself that he was falling for a king he knew would never be his. He relished the moment Thranduil carried him to the palace, though brief it seemed to be. Pip was right behind them.

*** 

Luciel remained in the healing chambers for several days, Pip never leaving his side, as the dog had become even more protective of his companion than before. Thranduil had enquired after Luciel’s health on several occasions, but had not actually visited, which made Luciel sad and somewhat heartbroken. He was in love with someone who would never reciprocate the same feelings. In his head he kept replaying the events after Thranduil had fished him from the well. His claustrophobia had dominated his state of being, but he had not imagined the king kissing him. It wasn’t the other way around, it was Thranduil who had taken the initiative. Luciel was confused.

“At least I still have you, don’t I?” he whispered, gently caressing Pip’s head, who never seemed to leave his side, much to the healers’ annoyance. 

In the days that followed, Luciel went back to what he was expected to do to earn his keep within the kingdom. He made sure he stayed away from the elk. He had no desire to look the animal in the eyes after what had happened, yet he was strangely curious what the majestic creature was all about. Some other time, he was not quite ready to face the elk.

Darkness had fallen and Luciel was finishing his last chores for the day. He carried the last few bales of hay towards the back of the stables. A storage of sorts had been created to store some equipment and sometimes several bales of hay, to make sure he wouldn’t have to walk so far every single time he needed some. He lifted his arms above his head and stretched to loosen his muscles. As he was stretching, he failed to notice a presence in the storage with him. Suddenly someone had collided hard against him from behind and had pushed him against the wooden boards next to the storage’s entrance. The rough movements had suddenly made way for wandering hands, which slid along his back, his sides and slowly managed to find their way to his abdomen. 

“What have you done to me?” he heard a deep velvet voice close to his ear.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” the voice spoke again. Luciel recognised it as Thranduil’s.

“Thranduil?” he carefully asked, wanting to be sure. He received nothing but a grunt in response. 

“You have bewitched me… or should I say _bewizarded_ me… I can’t think straight anymore…” Thranduil discontinued his monologue as he pushed Luciel’s black hair aside to reveal his sweaty neck. No sooner than Luciel had realised what Thranduil was doing, could he feel the king’s lips on his neck, kissing at first, but sucking and biting shortly after. Thranduil’s hands wandered lower and within one swift motion, he had lowered Luciel’s leggings to just below his hips. One hand crept into his tunic, while the other found his already half erect shaft.

“ _That_ didn’t take long,” Thranduil grinned behind him, as he started to massage the hardening flesh with his long and slender fingers. Luciel moaned loudly, genuinely hoping there was no one there to overhear them. He leaned his head back against Thranduil’s shoulder, bucking his rear against the king’s groin. They both groaned, finding extreme pleasure in each other’s actions. 

Suddenly Thranduil removed his hand from Luciel’s tunic. He fumbled with his own leggings, releasing his own erection from its confinements. His shaft was caught between Luciel’s cheeks and his pubic bone, giving it the well-needed friction, to work its way up to his high. All the while, Thranduil’s fingers remained firmly around Luciel’s hardness. He moved his hand up and down, while massaging his own shaft between their bodies. Luciel did not know where to put his hands, and rested them against the wooden surface of the storage room. He focused on his breathing, while Thranduil pleasured them both simultaneously. 

“Thranduil… I… I… “ Luciel was unable to string sentences together, as he felt his climax was almost upon him. He could hear Thranduil smirk behind him.

Suddenly Luciel’s abdominal muscles contracted and soon after, his semen spurted from the tip of his erection, leaving damp stains on the storage room wall. Thranduil could feel him twitch in his hand, most pleased about leaving Luciel in a hot mess. He ground his hips more fervently against Luciel’s cheeks and within moments he released his own load on his backside’s skin. Thranduil’s semen felt wet and warm on his exposed skin, but Luciel did not mind at all. Both tried to regain their normal sense of breathing. Some time passed and finally Thranduil moved away from Luciel, while adjusting his leggings and tunic. Luciel turned and started to pull his leggings up.

“Wait… “ Thranduil stopped him, looking around, until he found a cloth. He turned Luciel around once more and cleaned his rear tenderly.

“That’s better,” he smiled, as Luciel made himself decent again. They both stared at one another, then Thranduil stepped forward, gave Luciel a searing kiss, before leaving him alone in the storage room.

Luciel felt dizzy, but incredibly sated. He sat down on one of the bales he had hauled into the storage earlier. His breathing was heavy. He was confused, but he felt so good, as though he was on some libido-elevating substance or something. And he had a gorgeous elf specimen to thank for that. He would enjoy it while it lasted, he concluded, knowing quite well that it would not last indefinitely. 

***


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Luciel did not see much of Thranduil in the days that followed, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how the Elven King himself had made a move of intimacy, towards _him_ even, a mere human, from another world no less. He replayed what had happened by the well and in the storage room, in his mind. What did it all mean? He was confused. He certainly felt attracted to the king, there was no denying that anyone would find it difficult not being somewhat attracted. He was a fine specimen of an elf to behold, perhaps the finest. He decided he would not let it dominate his thoughts and continued his daily routine of taking care of the animals that belonged to the palace residents. 

Quite unexpectedly, Luciel recognised one of Thranduil’s personal guards walk in his direction when the sun stood high in the sky. It made him frown. The guard bowed lightly and spoke curtly.

“You are requested to complete the king’s portrait… tonight. You are to visit the king, after the evening meal, in his private chambers,” and with that the guard was gone again. Luciel’s mouth had opened slightly, but was unable to respond quickly enough for the guard to hear, as he had already created too much of a distance between them. Luciel caught himself being surprised and quickly closed his mouth. He had forgotten about the portrait.

*** 

Nervously Luciel padded through the quiet hallways. Most residents of the palace were still dining, but he found his lack of appetite a good opportunity to visit the king early and be done with the portrait as soon as time allowed it. The notion that he was again to face Thranduil, made him anxious, like there was something about to happen that would be life-altering. On the other hand, his heart skipped a beat with the idea that he would see his beautiful king again. He would never reveal so to anyone, but he was falling hard for the tall and handsome elf, regardless of him being king or not. 

Suddenly he again found himself in front of the doors that allowed him entrance to the king’s personal domain. He knocked and heard a curt command, which he now recognised as Thranduil asking the person outside his chambers to enter. 

As Luciel entered the ante-chamber, he looked around apprehensively. The sheets of paper and pencils were exactly where he had left them days ago. The portrait was still only half done and he was pleased with the result so far. Then the soft swishing of garments brought his gaze up and suddenly he was face to face with Thranduil once more. Silence fell between them, until Luciel moved towards the portrait and sat down. He looked at the king and without saying a word he managed to get him to sit down as well, in a similar position as before.

Neither spoke for a long time, while Luciel worked, his focus unparalleled. Thranduil had no desire to break the young man’s concentration and simply stared at the beautiful human. His deep black hair fell over his shoulders playfully, some strands reaching the parchment of the portrait. From time to time, Luciel would rake his fingers through his hair, temporarily moving the strands from his face, until the hair fell down again, shiny, silky soft and slightly wavy. 

Luciel never noticed Thranduil getting up from his chair, as he almost silently moved towards the artist. His slender hands reached for the long black hair, pulling it away from his face. Luciel was startled, but the shock only lasted briefly. He dared not look up, as Thranduil fumbled with his hair. It was only then that Luciel realised that Thranduil was in fact braiding some of the strands, so they would remain away from his face more permanently. It was a kind gesture, but Luciel experienced nothing but pure electricity and found Thranduil’s actions highly erotic. His breathing accelerated.

“Tell me, Luciel… what had you so frightened by the well?” the king suddenly asked. Luciel swallowed hard, but felt he owed an explanation.

“I do not do well in small and confined spaces,” he explained in one sentence.

“I have not had the best of experiences in the past and ever since, I…” Luciel was unable to complete his sentence. His claustrophobia was something that bothered him more than he thought. Even speaking of it made him apprehensive. 

“I see… and I am sorry to hear of it. Apart from the well, that usually does not hold elves… or humans… you will find there are but few small spaces in my kingdom or my palace… you should have nothing to be frightened about again in the future,” he spoke comfortingly. 

“And I am truly grateful… and allow me this opportunity to thank you for rescuing me from the well,” Luciel finally gazed up at Thranduil, as he had completed the braid on his head.

“No need to thank me. I was glad I was there to help,” he said as Luciel stood in front of him, bowing lightly to convey his gratitude. Again silence fell between them.

“Why so formal all of a sudden, Luciel?” Thranduil suddenly demanded to know. Luciel looked away shyly. He had no way to manage any of the expectations present in the room and he had decided it best to remain polite.

“I was under the impression we had moved beyond that, wouldn’t you agree,” the king smirked as he grabbed hold of Luciel’s hand as he guided him to the sleeping chamber. What was he up to?

“I may be king, but I am also made of flesh and blood and I have feelings like everyone else and I would be in serious denial if I were not able to admit that you have captivated me… you are on my mind almost all of the time and I’m unsure what to do with myself,” Thranduil revealed.

“I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same,” Luciel spoke, gazing into Thranduil’s silver blue eyes.

“But you are the king… there is a certain formality to uphold… and…” Luciel was bluntly cut off by Thranduil’s lips on his. Luciel allowed him instant access and shortly after the king’s tongue had found its way within the wet warmth of his mouth. Suddenly he pulled back.

“Damned all formalities,” he whispered, before crushing his lips to Luciel’s again, though this time it was with more determination than before.

Soon clothes were flying and ended up anywhere around the large bed that stood in the sleeping chamber. Hands wandered, touching, feeling, groping, squeezing. Luciel took a step back and gazed upon Thranduil’s body. He took a deep breath. _Damn, he was gorgeous_. Thranduil in turn smirked as he too gazed upon Luciel’s fine physique. 

“You are beautiful, Luciel… I have no other word to describe you,” Thranduil spoke in all honesty. Luciel stepped forward, feeling quite bold all of a sudden. He pushed the king to lie onto the bed, his back on the sheets. As soon as he had comfortably settled on the soft surface, Luciel crawled onto the piece of furniture as well, hovering over his body, letting the ends of his long black hair tickle the king’s pectorals, giving him goose bumps in the process. He noticed how Thranduil had closed his eyes, awaiting what was next.

He could feel Luciel position himself between his thighs, caressing the tensing muscles with his long slender fingers. Thranduil had lifted his arms above his head and sighed in bliss. Being naked on the bed, with the one person he felt so much for, felt so liberating. A smile formed on his lips, which Luciel took as the green light he was waiting for. 

Slowly he lowered his head and buried his face in the pubic hair that surrounded his impressive erection. Luciel moved his face around the fuzz and inhaled deeply through his nose. Thranduil’s scent made him tremendously dizzy, but a sense of happiness washed over him. Shortly after, Luciel took his shaft into his hand, moving it up and down to elicit the softest of moans from his lover, much to his contentment. Luciel could no longer control himself and only moments later, he pressed his lips around the head of the erection. Gently at first, followed by the tip of his tongue just after. He slowly twirled his tongue around the tip, before wrapping his lips around the head more firmly, gently sucking the hard flesh. Thranduil groaned as he flexed his toes at the sensation.

“What are you doing to me?” he spoke softly. Luciel smiled, but did not disconnect his mouth from his shaft.

Slowly he circled his lips not only around the head, but further down, around the girth of the hardened flesh. He started to bob his head up and down, while inside his mouth, the tongue licked and sucked the head. He gripped one hand around the lower part of his shaft, while the other fumbled with his scrotum, still keeping his mouth firmly wrapped around him. Thranduil squirmed beneath his touch and all Luciel could think was _I’m doing this to him_. 

He continued his actions, slowly at first, making what he did as pleasurable and as long-lasting as he possibly could. After a while Luciel found Thranduil spasm the muscles in his abdomen and in his legs. He would not last long, that was for certain. He tightened his grip at the base of the erection and bobbed his head up and down faster. Suddenly, Thranduil held Luciel’s head, as if to let him know that his climax was almost upon him. It was. Luciel felt him buck upwards, the muscles in his gorgeous abdomen hard from flexing. He grunted loudly and without further warnings, Luciel felt the light salted warm liquid in the back of his throat. As Thranduil’s shaft pulsated, squirting his everything into Luciel’s mouth, the rest of his body calmed. Luciel quickly swallowed and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked upon the mess that was his king, who was desperately trying to regain his normal way of breathing. Luciel quickly lifted himself off the bed and poured a glass of water from the decanter that stood on a table nearby. He rinsed his mouth and drank half the glass. When he was done, he crawled back onto the bed where Thranduil was still trying to recover from the intense orgasm Luciel had given him moments before. He snuggled up to him, nestling himself in the nook of where Thranduil’s shoulder and chest connected. He circled his arm around his waist and rested his thigh over Thranduil’s. Not long after, Luciel pulled the quilt, that had bundled around the foot end of the bed, up higher. He covered them both.

“For you,” Luciel simply managed, before falling into a deep sleep, not certain if Thranduil had at all heard him. Thranduil simply smiled, his lips full of content, his eyes closed, as he wrapped his arm around Luciel’s shoulders.

*** 

During the night Luciel had spooned Thranduil, holding him from behind, his groin firmly pressed against the king’s rear. His steady breathing was a sure indication that he experienced a soothing presence to Luciel’s touch, as his fingers grazed the toned abdomen. He could feel Thranduil twitch lightly, indicating that he was quite clearly ticklish. Luciel smiled and pressed his nose against his lover’s back, planting soft butterfly kisses along his spine, before falling asleep once more. It had been a long time since either had been happy. They were good for one another, even if they hadn’t realised it themselves.

As Thranduil snoozed and barely woke again, he found that he was the one curled around Luciel’s purring form. Luciel had turned to his right side, allowing Thranduil to hold him. He had lifted his left knee up, having given Thranduil the opportunity to firmly position his thigh between his legs against his backside. Lazily he doodled patterns on his toned back, the skin flawless, except for a few awkward looking scars on his shoulders. Thranduil frowned as he wondered what had happened there. Luciel stirred as Thranduil’s fingers caressed him gently, softly, with such care. He smiled, as he pressed his beautifully shaped rear against Thranduil’s groin. There was no mistaking the strong morning erection that Thranduil sported beneath the sheets. Thranduil had no intention of pressuring Luciel in any way, but what he really wanted was to take their intimacy to the next level. His doodling fingers left Luciel’s back and moved lower, where his big hands cupped the young man’s cheeks. He gently exercised pressure, squeezing the flesh that made his head swim. Quite involuntarily, Thranduil bucked forward, pressing his groin against Luciel with an almost insistent desire.

“You are insatiable, you know that?” Luciel croaked, not yet opening his eyes, willing himself to remember the searing orgasm he had given his king the night before. He felt Thranduil’s smirk behind him.

“Only for you… you are beautiful and…” Thranduil breathed deeply.

“And what?” Luciel wondered, his eyes still firmly closed, hoping that Thranduil was not having any seconds thoughts about what he hoped would come next. The king remained silent.

“I want you,” he responded finally.

“You already have me,” Luciel sighed in bliss.

“No… I _want_ you… all of you… I want to bury myself deep within your enticing body,” he finally managed.

“But…” he said, making Luciel frown. This elf was full of mystery, what on earth could possibly be on his mind?

“But what? What is on your mind, Thranduil,” he asked, still not changing the position he found himself in. Thranduil’s heart throbbed inside his throat. Having Luciel address him by his given name, did something to him. Everyone else always referred to him as _My Lord_ , or _Majesty_ , or… _father_. He was rarely just _Thranduil_. Yet the young man he currently shared a bed with, had done just that, call him by his given name. Several hundreds of years had passed since his beloved wife had departed from his world, the last one to have ever called him by his true name. The one he had truly loved, the one whose passing had been responsible for the bitter state of his very being in the past centuries. Something had changed in the past few days. His heart felt light again, he felt he could live again. Even his subjects had noticed a change in their king’s behaviour. Their king was in love and it made him all the more agreeable.

“What is it, Thranduil?” Luciel asked again, lifting his head slightly off the pillow to get Thranduil’s attention.

“I… I want you so badly… but… I will need your help,” he stated, as Luciel finally understood. The usually dominant king that he quite clearly was, had no experience in going all the way with males. 

“Do what you would normally do and you will be fine, just take it slowly,” Luciel offered words of comfort and soothing. In response Thranduil pressed his erection against Luciel’s rear once more.

“You will need something though… to make it easier,” the young man guided him. _Of course_. Thranduil sat up all of a sudden.

“Oil?” he asked, as he ogled the gorgeous naked body of the young man in his bed. To which Luciel replied. “Perfect!”

Thranduil briefly vacated the bed, until he returned with a small glass bottle that held a pink hue of thick liquid. Before opening the bottle, he let it reside between them for a moment, while circling his hand around Luciel’s hips to meet his front, only to find that he was not the only one who had become a victim of a morning erection. He firmly gripped the shaft and moved his hand up and down. Luciel moaned, pressing his face into his pillow. He lifted his backside up, arching his lower back further. In doing so, he felt Thranduil’s hardness press against him. 

“I want you too, Thranduil. Please don’t tease me,” he pleaded, as Thranduil pleasured him with his hand. Then out of the blue, he let go and Luciel could feel Thranduil lift the glass bottle he had brought to the bed earlier. He heard the cork pop and soon after, a trickle of rose-scented liquid could be felt on his backside. The oil ran from his cheeks, to in between the crack where lust and desire lay waiting.

Luciel changed his position in a way that made him part his thighs and lifted his rear up from the bed. He exhaled deeply, knowing what was ahead. The first moments could be perceived as awkward as he well knew, especially with someone as inexperienced as Thranduil. Luciel lowered his head, forcing himself to relax as much as possible, as it would help Thranduil get past the initial entry.

“Let the oil do the work, my love,” Luciel explained, as he felt Thranduil’s tip push against the puckered entrance. Thranduil almost felt like crying. It had been too long since someone had called him _my love_. His heart overflowed with emotions and feelings. Some he had feared had been long forgotten. 

Slowly he pushed his shaft forward. He met with quite some resistance, which was clearly something he was not used to. Luciel could sense the frustration in his breathing. 

“It’s alright… it will become easier once you…” Luciel never finish his sentence, as Thranduil pushed his head into Luciel’s tight entrance.

“… that’s it… you got it,” Luciel moaned, as he felt the pressure increase around his sphincter. 

Luciel had been right in saying he should let the oil do the work. The oil eased his shaft inside almost effortlessly though slowly, making him grunt loudly at the intrusion. 

“Easy now,” Luciel whispered, but the awkward moment he knew to be there at first, soon subsided and Thranduil moaned as his erection slowly disappeared into his lover.

“So tight… so good…” he was barely able to muster. As Thranduil’s pubic bone rested against Luciel’s cheeks, he waited for a few moments, allowing Luciel to adjust to the invasion of his impressive shaft. Thranduil was cursing under his breath as he so desperately wanted to move and push into Luciel over and over, until they would both spill their seed. In order to let Thranduil know that he was ready, Luciel slowly pushed his rear back against Thranduil’s groin. Gently at first, but with more passion shortly after. Then he stilled his movements altogether.

“Your turn, handsome,” Luciel said smirking, telling Thranduil that the work ahead was with him now. Thranduil lowered his hands onto the bed, supporting himself as he slowly pulled back and pushed into the young man that had captivated his heart. It did not take Thranduil long before he increased his thrusts with both power as well as speed. 

“More… please…” Luciel pleaded, urging Thranduil to stop being so gentle. They were past that. Thranduil happily obliged and suddenly his thrusts became fierce and passionate. He could see Luciel’s cheeks shake with every intrusion, while groans of pleasure escaped his shapely mouth. 

“You feel so good… I… “ but Thranduil never finished his sentence. Luciel would have loved for his king to assume a different position, but seeing this was Thranduil’s first experience, he figured they would have time for that some other day.

“Sweetheart, I’m not able to keep going for much longer,” he spoke in an apologetic tone, all while moaning in ecstasy. 

Luciel was much aware of what Thranduil was saying. While he thoroughly enjoyed the powerful thrusts Thranduil was giving him, the friction between his own body and the sheets beneath him, was causing his climax to claw its way up as well. Luciel smiled. They would come together.

“Luciel…” Thranduil groaned loudly.

“Thranduil…” came Luciel’s response.

Suddenly, accompanied by a guttural cry that screamed relief, Luciel felt Thranduil’s warmth deep within, while at almost the same time, Luciel soiled the sheets beneath him, feeling the damp of his own release against his abdomen. Both breathed like there was simply not enough air for them to inhale. Thranduil collapsed on top of Luciel, while still buried deep within him. He ensured to keep his full weight off of him, but his arms were tired.

“It’s okay, love… rest yourself,” Luciel whispered, as he felt Thranduil’s chest rise and fall on top of him, while his long silver blond hair tickled his shoulders.

Slowly both calmed their breathing. Luciel could feel Thranduil return to his flaccid state, before removing himself. As he did, Luciel grimaced slightly, which made Thranduil worry.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked with such care in his voice.

“You didn’t… not really… I’m a little bit sore… it has been a while… that is all,” Luciel spoke in between shallow breaths. 

Thranduil nestled himself to lie on his side beside his lover, while Luciel brought his thighs together. He remained on his abdomen for a while longer, to allow for his puckered entrance to recover somewhat.

“You are more experienced in… _this_ … than I am,” Thranduil was reluctant to admit, clearly not feeling comfortable with being the novice between the two.

“I will teach you,” Luciel smiled with a facial expression that conveyed nothing but pure bliss.

“You say it had been a while?” Thranduil wondered. Luciel nodded.

“My ex was not always nice and gentle… we stopped having sex after he became too rough with me one time too often. We did not have a healthy relationship. He was a _taker_ , not a _giver_ … and… he hurt me, Thranduil. Physically as well as mentally. I’ve been unhappy ever since… until now,” he explained, lifting his head slightly to kiss Thranduil on the lips tenderly.

“How did he hurt you mentally?” Thranduil wondered.

“You remember how I panicked when I fell down that well? That was _his_ doing… I’ve not been the same since he was a part of my life, I’m sad to say. I’ve become terrified of small spaces,” Luciel clarified, making Thranduil’s heart break on his behalf.

“I will never do anything to hurt you like that… I promise,” Thranduil stated, returning the same tender kiss as he had received just moments prior. 

“I know… I trust you,” Luciel responded smiling. 

***


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As time passed by, Thranduil’s subjects found him to be a changed elf. Even his son Legolas noticed a tremendous change in his father’s behaviour. His father was in love again. He found it difficult to swallow at first, but he soon came to realise that his mother had not been replaced. His father was not one to embark on something unless it was well thought through. His father’s happiness meant everything to him, especially since centuries had passed since his mother had passed away. Thranduil had loved his wife dearly and so deeply, that for a long time Legolas was convinced his father would never be happy again. He was glad Luciel had managed to find a way to his heart and once again made him the loving father and king he once was. It was clearly meant to be, and it almost felt like a higher power was at work in Mirkwood.

Luciel wandered around Thranduil’s ante-chamber, running his fingers along the spines of the numerous books that resided on the bookshelves that adorned the walls. Thranduil had tried to teach him elvish, but Luciel had to admit that languages had never been his forte. He cared not for Sindar or any other language spoken in Middle Earth. He cared for Thranduil and the more he thought about it, and though as happy as he was at that moment, he knew that their love would not last. He was a mortal human, and not one from Thranduil’s world. He knew that in one way or another, their fairy tale would end, but he pushed the thoughts from his head. He would love Thranduil with all he could muster and for as long as it would last. He had been so depressed, for such a long time. In a way, his state of mind had been too similar to Thranduil’s, but then they met and neither were the same soon after. They complemented one another. He smiled to himself.

“What’s on your mind, my love,” Thranduil said as he stood behind Luciel, circling his arms around his toned waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. Luciel rested his hands on Thranduil’s.

“Us… but _you_ mostly,” he smiled back, as he lifted his gaze on the books’ spines once more. One book in particular caught his eye. He took it from the shelf and opened it. By an invisible force of nature, the book parted on a specific page. Luciel brought the book closer and looked at the drawing of the elvish female that decorated the page. Luciel’s eyes widened.

“Gal,” he whispered. Thranduil frowned.

“What did you say?” he asked, his eyes slightly squinted.

“Gal,” Luciel responded, though louder than when he first mentioned the name of the woman he had encountered in the woods when he had walked Pip.

“You know who she is?” Thranduil asked again. 

“I have met her before… but it wasn’t in Mirkwood, nor Middle-Earth,” Luciel explained softly.

“I don’t understand, but what I do know is that her magic reaches far beyond our comprehension at times,” Thranduil tried to explain, but it raised more questions for Luciel. He turned in Thranduil’s embrace.

“Who is she?” he insisted on learning.

“It is Galadriel, the Lady of Light. She is a high-born elf, living in the woods of Lórien, she is also called the Lady of Galadhrim. And she is wed to Lord Celeborn, my relative,” Thranduil replied.

“When I met her, she appeared in the forest of my world. We spoke briefly. She asked me what I would give to be happy again, to find love again. When I had responded with _anything_ … well… next thing I knew I had made my way to Middle-Earth. How or why, I do not know,” Luciel responded, confusion in his expression.

“While high-born elves all possess some form of magic, none can fathom the extent or reach of Galadriel’s magic, she is quite unique and the most kind of all elves and I do love her dearly,” Thranduil sighed. Luciel looked into Thranduil’s silver blue eyes.

“You are high-born,” Luciel remarked.

“I am… I would not be king otherwise,” he stated.

“You possess magic?” Luciel wondered, his eyes wide like a child on Christmas. Thranduil smiled. Considering everything they had experienced together so far, he had never wondered about much that was elvish, he had always simply wondered about _him_. Luciel was not one to be swept away by rank, wealth or power, but rather by the actions and deeds of people, elves and others. It was the reason why he was well-liked by so many elves that resided in Mirkwood.

“I do,” came Thranduil’s response, his tone slightly teasing, not going into it further. Luciel just looked at him as if to say _well, go on, tell me_. Thranduil burst out laughing, before he looked at Luciel and kissed him on the lips.

“You never cease to surprise me… I’m curious as to why you have never asked me before… it is hardly a secret,” Thranduil explained. Luciel blushed.

“I just never gave it much thought,” he said in all honesty.

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” Thranduil stated as he held Luciel lovingly.

“I have healing powers… I am able to heal those that have been near-fatally wounded. It is not a power I use often, as it drains me profusely, but that is the magic I have been gifted with,” he explained. Luciel considered Thranduil’s words for a moment, before he spoke.

“You healed _me_ ,” he whispered. Thranduil frowned, but he understood quite well.

“And _you_ healed me,” he whispered in return. Luciel smiled, as he too understood what Thranduil meant.

“And I don’t even possess magic,” Luciel grinned.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Thranduil smirked, pulling Luciel close, pressing his tall physique against the young human’s fit body.

“What do you think Lady Galadriel has in store for us?” Luciel suddenly asked in earnest.

“Who knows what stirs in the depths of Galadriel’s head… all I know is that I intend to not let it trouble me, until the time she will enlighten us,” Thranduil responded, as he slowly pulled Luciel to move beyond the ante-chamber. Luciel grinned.

“What are you up to?” he asked, all smiles.

“I intend to make love to you, until you scream, and then I will make love to you some more,” Thranduil whispered in a raspy voice, lust in his eyes.

“Only if you will let me return the same,” Luciel stated.

“I will let you… in fact I want you to… _at this very moment_ ,” Thranduil said, no longer smirking. His expression was serious, as was his love for the young man in front of him. Luciel eyed him intently for a moment, not quite certain he heard what Thranduil was saying.

“You mean…?” he did not quite complete his question. Thranduil nodded.

“I just want to be one with you, in the same way as you have become one with me on several occasions, only then will I feel whole once more… I want you to be the one to make me whole… only you,” he responded earnestly. Luciel swallowed hard.

“I am… honoured, my love,” Luciel said as he pulled Thranduil down for a passionate kiss. Thranduil responded equally passionately, but Luciel could sense a slight apprehension in his actions.

“I will be very careful… and well… I’m not quite so… _well-endowed_ as you,” he tried to offer words of comfort. 

“I well and truly do not care. I would walk through fire for you, I’m certain this will be more… _pleasurable_ ,” Thranduil smirked, as he again pressed his lips on Luciel’s. Slowly Luciel proceeded to unfasten the front of the king’s long tunic. He found the shirt beneath to be soft and easy to remove from his upper body. The bulge in his leggings revealed that he was quite eager to be intimate with Luciel once more, though this time would be different.

Within moments Thranduil stood before Luciel, naked in all his glory, which gave him goose bumps. Thranduil noticed and returned the favour by slowly removing Luciel’s clothes as well. He was desperate to feel the human’s naked body against his. A kissing frenzy and wandering hands followed, neither wanting to hide their lust or love for one another. Thranduil felt Luciel’s erection against his own and gasped at the mere sensation of it. This human had rooted himself so deeply into his heart, into his very being, that Thranduil wondered if he could ever bear being parted from his fragile mortal soul. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, until he created a small distance between them. Luciel was surprised at first, until he found Thranduil crawling up onto the large bed on all fours and slowly lowered himself onto the sheets, belly down. Luciel’s eyes fell on the glass bottle on the bedside table and smiled. Clearly the king had been prepared. He lifted the bottle up and contrary to what Thranduil had expected, Luciel drizzled some of the content onto the king’s back, after having carefully moved his hair out of the way. Thranduil lifted his head in surprise, but lowered his cheek back onto the sheets, after feeling Luciel’s hands slowly massaging the slightly tensed muscles on his shoulder blades. 

Luciel knew that the only way to make their union pleasurable for both, was if Thranduil was able to relax completely. A back massage would help with that significantly. Soon enough, moans of contentment came from Thranduil’s throat, as he was thoroughly enjoying the experience. Suddenly he could feel Luciel’s pectorals on his back, moving his entire body up and down the spine, effectively using his torso to massage the king’s pale skin. The slick between Luciel’s torso and Thranduil’s back, was however not the only thing Thranduil felt between them. Luciel’s hardness was evidently present and it made Thranduil tingle all over. Luciel lifted himself up to allow himself a good look of his beautiful silver blond haired lover. He wasn’t able to enjoy the view for too long, as Thranduil lifted his hips up from the sheets, letting Luciel know that he wanted more. Much more.

Luciel took the bottle of oil into his hands once more and trickled some of it down to the tight entrance that awaited his much craved attention. 

Luciel did not immediately prepare himself for entry, instead he squeezed the cheeks on Thranduil’s backside first. Thranduil could do little else but press his face into the sheets in front of him and take some of the sheets into his mouth to muffle his otherwise loud groans. He felt Luciel circle his thumb around the puckered hole several times, before slowly pressing the tip of his thumb down, slowly entering him with the extremity. Thranduil moaned at the intrusion. Luciel smiled. _That sounded promising_.

He pulled back his thumb, only to plunge it back inside again, until he felt Thranduil relax enough for him to invade him repeatedly. Thranduil’s sounds of ecstasy had already reassured Luciel that his lover was able to take more than he had initially thought possible for a novice such as his king. Quite suddenly, Luciel removed his hands from his backside and rested them beside Thranduil. He lightly kissed his back, before moving to position himself at his entrance.

Thranduil could feel Luciel’s head press against him. Almost instinctively he tensed, to which Luciel responded instantly.

“Sshht, relax,” Luciel whispered softly.

“You will be fine… just remember…” Luciel spoke, leaving Thranduil in anticipation of what he was going to say.

“… I love you,” Luciel continued, while at the same time he managed to push the head of his erection inside. Thranduil gasped and a mixture of pain and pleasure engulfed him.

“Oh Luciel… I love you too,” he grunted, as he felt Luciel’s shaft slowly enter him fully. Luciel was careful not to force himself, though he needed all the strength he could muster to not thrust into him hard and fast. He allowed for Thranduil to adjust to his presence, and in addition tried to make him relax further by massaging his shoulders once more.

“Luciel… you feel so good,” was all Thranduil managed.

“Are you alright, my love,” Luciel asked, genuinely concerned for the elf beneath him.

“I am now,” Thranduil replied sincerely, taking in as much air as his lungs allowed. Luciel smiled. He loved Thranduil so much, and this was the ultimate show of trust his lover was able to give him. It made his heart explode.

Luciel began to move, just pulling back slightly, only to enter him again, and again. Before long, Luciel rolled his hips, pushing himself deeper into his beautiful lover. He could feel Thranduil respond to his thrusts by bucking back against his groin. Luciel had never been quite so aroused as at that very moment. While he held the dominant position, Thranduil still had his way of coercing what it was he wanted. 

“Luciel, my love…” Thranduil moaned all of a sudden.

“Luciel… I want to see you,” he spoke again. Luciel considered his words for a moment. Thranduil really _did_ know what he wanted, and that was a position that would allow them more intimacy, by facing one another.

Thranduil felt Luciel break their connection, while raspy breathing told him, Luciel was desperate to invade him once more.

“So eager,” Thranduil smirked, as he rolled over, spreading his thighs wide, allowing Luciel to position himself again.

Luciel smiled down on Thranduil lovingly, his still oily hands wandering along the king’s long torso that made the skin tingle. He was so relaxed, that he barely noticed Luciel push inside once more, though as he did, Thranduil gasped and threw his head back in ecstasy. A guttural grunt from his open mouth reached Luciel’s ears and a surge of electricity ran through his body.

They both moved in unison, Thranduil having fully adjusted to the repeated invasion Luciel was giving him. Somewhere along the way, Luciel had taken Thranduil’s erection into his hands and his rhythmic thrusts moved in the same patterned pace as his shaft in Luciel’s hand. His other hand rested on Thranduil’s pectorals for the much-needed leverage. A deliberate rolling motion of his hips, allowed for Luciel to elegantly slide into Thranduil’s body repeatedly, his own hardness thoroughly enjoying the virgin tightness that surrounded him.

Soft moans could be heard from both of them, as Luciel closed his eyes while diving deeper into the elf he had come to love so well and so unexpectedly. He was fucking his king, the ruler of his heart and his king wanted to be fucked, by _him_. Luciel’s eyes watered at the notion of sheer happiness that seemed to invade his soul. Thranduil noticed and lifted himself up slightly to brush his thumb gently beneath his eye. And though Luciel had not spoken a word, Thranduil responded by saying: “Me too!”

As time elapsed, Luciel felt more and more comfortable and his thrusts picked up both speed as well as force. There was no denying that both loved one another dearly, but it was lust that was driving them both towards their climax.

Thranduil had lowered his head onto the sheets once more, throwing his head back in pleasure, exposing his neck to Luciel’s view. In response, Luciel lowered his upper body to rest on Thranduil’s, his lips on his neck and before long, while thrusting into him deeply, he sucked his neck vehemently. Thranduil was sure to be bruised afterwards, but he did not seem to mind, as the grip Luciel held on his shaft dominated the sensations in his body.

Luciel lifted himself up again, admiring the mark he left on the king’s neck and slowly he could feel Thranduil’s body spasming beneath his touch. His abdominal muscles suddenly stood out from the rest of his torso, his toes flexed and then the silence was filled with a cry that screamed relief. As Thranduil was climaxing, spilling his seed onto his own skin as well as on Luciel’s hands, he had lifted his arms above his head, his hands twisted in the sheets, while Luciel focused on his own release which was imminent. He rolled into his lover once, twice and upon the third roll, he screamed the king’s given name, with all that his vocal chords would allow. 

Thranduil felt the warmth of Luciel’s release deep within, eliciting a deep sigh that was abundant with bliss. 

Unable to fight gravity much longer, Luciel collapsed onto Thranduil and lay sprawled on top of his naked body, his throbbing shaft still buried deep within. Both were trying to catch their breaths, which proved to be more difficult than either of them could have ever dreamed of.

They remained in the same position for a good while. Luciel had already felt his flaccid state slip from Thranduil’s body, leaving a damp mess on the sheets beneath them. Thranduil had wrapped his arms around Luciel’s shoulders protectively. He would allow for nothing or no one to harm his beautiful human lover.

***

Luciel could, for the life of him, not remember how he had managed to lie on his side at one point, but he suspected it had been Thranduil who had positioned him onto the large bed more comfortably. A rose scent dominated the chamber and Luciel drifted back to sleep, Thranduil firmly pressed against him from behind.

He had it all. He could die happily now.

***


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Slowly Luciel woke from his deep slumber. His head hurt, though he could not understand as to why it did. He felt alone. Thranduil was not behind him, as was usually the case when he woke. Occasionally Thranduil would wake early and vacate the bed before they both woke, as his royal duties beckoned, but this morning felt different. Did his king have regrets?

“Thranduil?” Luciel whispered softly at first. “Thranduil!” he spoke more insistently, his eyes still closed. The lumpy surface beneath him felt awkward and Luciel had quickly concluded that the otherwise soft sheets had crumpled into lumpiness under his body.

“It’s alright, Lucy,” a soft female voice spoke. Luciel frowned as he was trying to escape his snoozing state. _Lucy?_ No one in the entire kingdom had ever referred to him as _Lucy_.

Slowly he managed to open his eyes, only to lay eyes on his best friend Clodagh, who smiled down on him lovingly.

“Hey you, welcome back?” she sighed in relief, happy that her friend was once in the realm of the conscious.

Luciel was startled, as he sat up, looking around him. 

“Thranduil?” he asked again, his breathing rapid and shallow.

“Who’s Thranduil, Lucy?” Clodagh asked with a confused look on her face. 

As reality dawned upon him, he lifted his knees and buried his face in his hands. He cried. Clodagh did not understand and did the only thing she could and that was to wrap her arms around her evidently grieving friend.

“Oh Lucy, what happened to you?” she wondered, as tears gathered in her eyes.

*** 

Luciel did not know what had happened. It’s like no time had elapsed at all since he lost consciousness in the woods when he was walking Pip, after he had met the mysterious Gal. His eyes grew wide.

“Pip!” he cried out. “Where is Pip?” he genuinely wondered, knowing that Pip had been his companion in Middle-Earth.

“We don’t know, Lucy. Pip was not with you when we found you. We looked for him, but we don’t know where he is,” Clodagh responded, her voice heavy with sorrow. The loss of Pip had weighed heavily on her heart, but the notion of having Luciel back, had lifted her spirits. She was happy to have Luciel back, but grieved for her missing dog. Luciel could tell her head and heart were filled with mixed feelings.

“I’m so sorry… it’s my fault… Pip was with me when… and… I don’t know what happened,” he concluded.

Clodagh sniffed softly, but also smiled.

“I’m certain one of us will find him sooner or later,” she said confidently. Silence fell between them.

“You want to tell me what happened?” Clodagh finally asked carefully.

Luciel took a deep breath and told her everything. As he was speaking, he came to realise that he no longer knew whether he had actually experienced it all, or whether he had been dreaming. The only thing he knew was, that he had been happy throughout his entire stay in Middle-Earth. In Mirkwood. With his beloved king. His love, Thranduil.

Clodagh knew that after his awful breakup with his ex, Luciel closed himself off from people, but she also knew that Luciel was a sensitive man, who wanted nothing more than to be loved and offer love in return. 

Luciel’s behaviour in the days that followed, was withdrawn. He had returned to his beloved passion of drawing. It did not take much, before he decided to draw Thranduil. All drawings turned out fantastic and the likeness was incredible. Luciel had decided to hang them up over his drawing table. Clodagh had watched him draw and ogled the beautiful king in the drawings.

“Wow… he’s gorgeous,” Clodagh remarked. “Was he kind?” she asked, playing along, not convinced that Luciel had in fact imagined it all in his dreams.

“Very… he was cold and distant at first, but he changed. He had been grieving for hundreds of years. Somehow his whole demeanour became different when I was there,” he spoke, realising that his words sounded foolish and ridiculous. As if he could have brought about such feelings with anyone. He was not that lucky.

The more he thought about it, the less he was convinced that whatever had transpired in Mirkwood, had in fact been real. How on earth could it have been? Elves, dwarves, orcs… he needed to snap back to reality. As his thoughts dwelled on past events, that had seemed so real, he smiled. He had been happy. There was hope for him yet. He wasn’t a lost cause, no matter how much his ex had hurt him. A surge of confidence swept through him. He would be fine and he had Thranduil to thank for that. 

*** 

Luciel’s mood felt light, as he strolled through the infamous woods towards the nearest train station, his portfolio of drawings tucked tightly under his arm. Clodagh, the sweetheart that she was, had managed to get Luciel’s work under the attention of a gallery owner in a town close by. He finally had the chance to get the appreciation for his work he had so craved for. 

As he padded through the woods, the damp orange and red leaves around his feet, he swallowed hard. He hadn’t forgotten how he had lost Pip in these very woods and he recalled quite clearly how he had met Gal, shortly after which he had managed to land himself in Middle-Earth… or had he?

He could no longer distinguish between what had possibly been reality, from what had quite probably been a dream.

Luciel took a deep breath and decided to sit himself down on a tree stump. He would catch the next train, as he was early for his appointment anyway. He opened the large portfolio he was carrying and flipped through the drawings, most of which were of Thranduil in different positions. Some were quite regal-looking, others were quite clearly filled with love and admiration for the king of the Woodland realm. There was a lot of emotion in his drawings and he hoped others would be able to love and appreciate the beautiful elf as he had done. Even if it had only been in a dream.

His mind wandered, when suddenly a voice spoke to him.

“What would you give to be happy again?” came the question by a female voice that sounded all too familiar.

Luciel looked up, shock in his expression. 

“Galadriel,” he spoke softly, his voice no more than a gasp or whisper.

“Ah, I see you have learned my true name,” the woman smiled at him, as she approached. Luciel did not know what else to say and waited for Galadriel to speak first.

“You are conflicted… you are wondering if what you have experienced had been real or nothing more than a dream,” she spoke as though she was able to look inside his head. Luciel nodded.

“Does it matter? You were happy, were you not?” she asked.

“I was… I _am_ ,” he quickly corrected himself. “I did not think I could ever by happy again, not after…” he paused.

“I know,” she smiled at him.

“So… what would you give to be happy again… to find love again?” she asked again, grinning.

“And what happens when I say _anything_ , will you whisk me back to Mirkwood, like you did before, be it in a dream or otherwise?” Luciel wondered.

“As much as I have enjoyed it all… _so much_ … I have been happy, but I don’t think I like to be parted from a loved one ever again, nor to have a loved one be parted from me. If it means I am to relive it all, or pick up where I left off, only to have it end again after a while, then I prefer to save us both from heartache… so, please… don’t,” Luciel revealed.

“You are not selfish, I see,” Galadriel smiled at him.

“I can see why Thranduil has taken a liking to you,” she commented. Luciel frowned.

“Very well, if that is your wish, just so you know, Thranduil has become the warm and loving _ellon_ again, just like he had been at one point. He is much loved by his subjects once again and you are the reason for that,” she explained. 

“His relationship with his son has become one, where a doting father can show unconditional love to his child once more. It is what he needed, what Legolas needed, but more importantly, what Mirkwood needed,” she concluded.

“… what _I_ needed,” Luciel whispered.

“Indeed,” Galadriel laughed.

“Are you certain you abide by the answer to my question?” she wondered in earnest.

“… yes…” Luciel responded, his voice quivering.

“I sense hesitation in your voice, my dear,” Galadriel remarked, as she drew closer, her eyes falling on the drawings in front of him.

“You have captured the king well… there is… shall we say _emotion_ in them,” she spoke in an appreciative tone. Luciel smiled. He had loved Thranduil with all his might and it seemed that Galadriel had her way of drawing his thoughts out of him.

“It’s just… I’m…” Luciel began.

“Mortal?” Galadriel wondered, though she already knew what he was about to say. Luciel nodded again. Damn her for knowing his most intimate thoughts. She laughed loudly.

“Did Thranduil tell you about me? What it is I can do?” she asked, the corners of her mouth curled upwards.

“He did… he told me all high-born elves are gifted with magic,” he whispered.

“And you are still holding on to the answer to my question?” she asked, though she was becoming slightly impatient.

“What are you asking me exactly, Galadriel?” Luciel now wondered, his expression full of confusion.

“Oh, I think you already know… do you trust me?” she asked, bringing her face closer to his. Luciel could see nothing but sincerity in her eyes.

“Completely!” Luciel spoke honestly. For a moment, Galadriel said nothing, but kept on smiling as she observed the young black-haired man.

“Good. You have a good heart, Luciel. It doesn’t take a miracle to see it, but to selflessly love the way you have, without no expectations at all, that is commendable. Allow me to make you happy again. I promise, you will not regret it,” she spoke. Luciel opened his mouth to respond, but decided against it. He simply gave Galadriel a curt nod, which was evidently all she needed, before she started to create a distance between them.

“Be happy, my dear Luciel… you deserve it… you _both_ do!” and with those words she was gone again.

Luciel snapped his portfolio shut. He had so many questions, he stood, but as he did, he concluded he got up too quickly, as dizziness seemed to appear out of nothing. The portfolio slipped from his hands and fell to the leafy surface and a mere moment later, Luciel landed on top of it. He was out.

*** 

As Luciel woke, he lifted his hand to rest against his forehead. He had an awful headache… again. 

“Now what?” he mumbled.

As he stood, he felt the portfolio beneath him. He looked around him and found he was no longer in the woods that lay adjoining his home. His surroundings looked awfully familiar. He craned his neck to better look around him.

“No way,” he whispered to himself in shock.

He lifted the portfolio from the mossy ground and started walking. He had no idea which direction would get him where, but he couldn’t stay where he was.

He had walked for several hours it seemed and his feet were starting to hurt. His eyes fell upon a clearing in the distance and he decided to walk towards it. As he approached the clearing, his eye fell on a gate. The intricate decorative pattern on the wooden surface he had seen before. He recognised where he was. This was the palace.

As he approached the gate, the guards that were there, nodded at him, a though they had known him for years and allowed him entrance. Luciel frowned. As he walked on, another clearing appeared in his vision. 

“The stable grounds,” he whispered in disbelief. He increased the speed at which he walked and entered the stables. He found the storage room that held a very fond memory for him. In the corner he found a bundle of something, covered by a jute sack. Black jeans and a t-shirt, and a pair of Doc Martens boots. 

As he ventured outside again, his eyes fell on the well that stood in the centre. The paddock that was slightly obscured from sight, showed a majestic animal with antlers that were as impressive as the palace itself. Next to the paddock, a tall elf, with waist-long silver blond hair, his back as straight as an arrow and an expression that oozed class. Next to the elf, a dog, a mutt if he ever saw one. It made his heart jump.

“Pip!” he shouted, before he could control himself. The dog lifted its head and barked loudly, before he stood and started running towards him, accompanied by the wagging of its tail that spoke of nothing but happiness.

The dog jumped up against him and tried to lick his face, as Luciel crouched down to greet the dog.

“You’re here… I did not dream anything… it was all real,” he whispered, as tears were rolling down his cheek, while he continued hugging the dog.

“Yes it was, as real as can be,” a deep silken voice spoke. Luciel looked up and found Thranduil towering over him. They eyed one another intently, before Luciel raised himself from his crouching position and flung himself towards Thranduil, who instantly wrapped his arms around Luciel’s shoulders. 

“I thought I had lost you,” was all Thranduil was able to say, as he tightened his hold on the young human. Luciel said nothing, but his trembling told Thranduil all he needed to know. Their bond was strong. 

“Never,” Luciel sniffed.

“Indeed,” Thranduil smiled down on the love of his life. “You will find that _never_ is quite accurate.” Luciel did not understand.

“Galadriel…”Luciel paused.

“… has ensured that I will never lose you again,” Thranduil whispered, as he tenderly pressed his lips on Luciel’s for all to see.

“You mean…?” Luciel spoke as he broke the connection.

“It is her gift to you. We have an eternity of whatever you desire ahead,” he said, choosing his words carefully, for Luciel to finally understand.

“No!” Luciel exclaimed loudly.

“Yes!” Thranduil responded laughing.

“An eternity?” Luciel asked, his features grave. Thranduil nodded.

“Oh my… whatever will do I with myself,” Luciel spoke, in awe of the revelation Thranduil had just shared with him. The king gave him a wicked smile.

“Oh… I have a few ideas!”

***


End file.
